Shortly after 6 p.m. on Friday, the grassy area around the South Stage at the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival started to fill up. Hungry families gathered plates of fried fish, po-boys and all sorts of strawberry concoctions.

As the sun went down, children with chocolate coated fingers and teeth swayed to the music of Cortni April.

Many of the families were lured by the half-price rides on Friday night, but just as many were lured in by the sweet smell of a fresh Louisiana strawberry crop.

My own krewe of wild teenagers took to the rides for about two hours before indulging in some chicken fingers, fries and fried Oreos.

Festival veterans, as they consider themselves, this festival is among their favorites, but admittedly we'd never experienced a Friday night Strawberry Festival before.

Normally, we attend on a Saturday when all of the craft and food booths are open. Our group was a bit disappointed to find the artists and vendors tables empty.

More on the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival

While we were wowed as always by the pleasantly nice crowds and delicious food, we all agreed that the bathroom sitituation at the festival leaves much to be desired. If you’ve never attended the festival be sure to note there are no facilities on-site, just Port-a-lets.

My pregnant best friend wasn’t exactly thrilled by this fact noting she’d been happy to wait in line to use a real bathroom, if given the opportunity.

What not to miss: Strawberry sangria, fried Oreos, flats of fresh strawberries and the nearby shopping. There are several very cute boutiques that surround the festivities – be sure to stop in and check out the deals. Our group of divas found some cool stuff to wear to Jazz Fest, which is just around the corner!

Parking advice: Just pay to park because you will be towed at your own expense if you park in someone's yard or driveway. Play it safe and spend $10 on parking, which is what most folks were charging on Friday night.